


Ocean Air

by Pokemoon



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action, Adventure, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pirates, When I Think of Some
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-17 07:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5859952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokemoon/pseuds/Pokemoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bianca hates losers. Her great-grandfather lost a Davy Back fight and look where it got her: bound to the Edo Pirates until the day she dies. Bianca hates winners. The Edo Pirates always win and she just can't get away from them. Until one day, they lose.</p><p>Inspired by two things: Sanji fantasizing about his children with Nami in the Long Ring Long Island Arc and Teruul's Race for One Piece.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Make Friends You Can Call by Their Nicknames, Even When You're Old and Grey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will not feature any preexisting characters, though they might be mentioned. When I say that Race inspired this, I mean that Teruul inspired me to write my own One Piece fanfiction. If you haven't read Race, then go read it! It can be found of fanfiction.net at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8717182/1/Race-for-One-Piece\
> 
> The title came from a Gintama episode. I read most of the titles, but this one really stuck with me :)

The Davy Back fight: a tournament between pirate crews fought in one, two or three games, staking the fealty of crew members and even their pride, the Jolly Roger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Don't accept." Bianca took it upon herself, out of the paltry goodness of her heart, to venture to the remote corner of the island where the small crew set anchor and warn them of their impending doom. They're a no-name, no-bounty crew of four with a captain, a cook, and a pair of siblings.

 

She faces them with her arms crossed, back straight, two katana hanging from her waist in plain sight, and her long, burnt orange hair draped down her back. She's tall for a girl and flat-chested, but proud nonetheless. Only the modest red and white of her stifling miko garb make Bianca feel out of place among their liberal fashion choices. Not all pirate crews have dress codes, but she's never seen one so… unique.

 

In particular, her eyes keep straying to the cook wearing a simple grey yukata, a sombrero, and a pair of brown hiking boots.

 

Unique.

 

They all raise their eyebrows, lower their tankards, and reach for their weapons, but the captain simply laughs. He sits cross-legged on the bank near their simple ship, slapping the ground, head thrown back, as his entire body shakes with laughter, his blond hair so long it nearly brushes the grass.

 

Unlike the simple, if odd, clothing his crew wears, the captain is fully geared in military style clothing. He wears a stiff white, double breasted suit jacket with long coattails; a short, brown necktie; and a leather belt cinched just above his waist. Tight, white slacks cling to his slender legs, clad in brown, thigh high boots, which he manages to pull of without looking like a girl. A pair of brown leather gloves lays on top of a white caplet slung against the trunk of a nearby tree.

 

Despite quickly growing irritated from the loud, carefree noise, Bianca represses her annoyance and waits for the captain to stop laughing.

 

"Why?" he asks while wiping away tears from his eyes.

 

Bianca has never known someone to laugh so hard they cry. She thinks of all the reasons why he shouldn't accept the Davy Back game, and one in particular comes to mind. "Because you'll lose." Just like her great-grandfather did.

 

The captain smiles at her, almost smirking, really. "How do you know that?" His tone is light, but self-assured, nothing like the nervous expression he wore earlier in the day when asking her captain for time to think about the challenge.

 

There are a million reasons why she knows he's going to lose, but it mostly boils down to the fact that she's spent her entire life on the ship. Although the Edo pirates often lose matches, they've never lost a game in the past 21 years thanks to their current captain, Senryoku the Strategist. 20 million beri bounty, probably the highest in East Blue since Straw Hat Luffy. Bianca thinks his title should be relegated to Senryoku the Biggest-Asshole-Alive, but it can't be helped, seeing as the Navy has little actual knowledge of pirates, including her.

 

Regardless, she can tell Senryoku wants to win, wants the "talent" in this meager crew. Honestly, Bianca doesn't see much talent, but it's not her place to question him. "Don't accept," she repeats, knowing that her absence will be noticed and her time is running short. She turns to leave.

 

Somehow, she can tell that this crew isn't the kind that will shift allegiances on a whim. She can tell that they're a relatively new crew - why else would they be so small? - and that they have a chance to create a life for themselves on the vast ocean, if only they don't fall victim to the Davy Back.

 

"Wait."

 

Bianca's eyes widen, and she spins around, just barely managing to parry the captain's strike with her own katana, more out of reflex than reaction. Her thin katana seems meek in comparison to his heavy claymore, which appeared out of nowhere.

 

The captain stares into her startled eyes - a mix of green and brown - and then rakes his gaze all over her body, but she can't tear herself away from his blue eyes, deep and vast like the ocean, and their sudden, frightening intensity. "Backhanded… interesting," he chuckles, honing in on her grip on her sword. "Tell your captain I accept." He steps back and lowers his weapon, seemingly carefree again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where were you?" asks Senryoku, the captain of the Edo Pirates, accusingly.

 

"Nowhere," shrugs Bianca. She clenches her fists tight in an effort to stop them from trembling, something they've taken to of their own free will after her brief clash with the blond-haired captain. She likes to think it's out of anger because he completely ignored her warning.

 

Senryoku grabs her chin, and looks deep into her strangely colored eyes. "Are you okay?" he asks, suddenly sounding like a concerned father for whatever reason.

 

Bianca knows better though. He revoked her outing privileges just that morning. He's more like her master than anything else. She brushes his hand off, not liking the second, soul-deep gaze she's been on the receiving end of today.

 

In exchange for letting go, Senryoku pats her head. "Don't push yourself, Bianca. We might have a Davy Back tomorrow."

 

"We…" She considers lying, but what's the point? He would find out sooner or later. "They accepted."

 

"Fantastic!" beams Senroku, all traces of worry, real or not, gone. He pats her head again, this time more sprightly. "That was rather quick," he notes, but doesn't say anything else as he walks off, whistling a sailor's tune.

 

She watches him leave, thankful he doesn't question how she knows they accepted. He's probably off to his cabin, busy thinking up the most demoralizing defeat for the Blank Pirates as possible.

 

"Binky!" a voice shouts from behind.

 

 _"Who's Binky?"_ Bianca scowls to herself, ignoring the voice.

 

"Binky!" the voice shouts again, closer.

 

Again, she ignores it.

 

"Bi-an-ca!" A hand grabs her by the shoulder a spins her around.

 

"What?" she asks irritably, the bright and cheerful smile beaming down at her doing nothing to dispel her foul attitude.

 

"I called you several times."

 

"I know, Mako. I heard."

 

Mako, a tall and stocky youth with curly black hair, pouts and gives his best puppy eyes. "Why didn't you respond?"

 

Bianca glares up into his puppy eyes with a stone cold heart. "My name isn't 'Binky'," she answers sourly.

 

Mako grins again. "Oh come on, it's cute!" He waits for her to say something, but Bianca simply continues to glare, unamused. "Anyways," Mako says hastily after a while of pause, "what did my dad tell you?" he asks with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Bianca," he adds, when she still doesn't say anything.

 

Satisfied, Bianca shrugs flippantly. "Nothing much. He said that he's going to retire and make me his successor. Looks like you're going to be cabin boy for the rest of your life." She looks up at the sky and lets her words sink in, waiting for Mako's reaction. After a continued silence, she looks back expectantly, but sees tears threatening to burst forth from her childhood friend's eyes. "Oh please," she scoffs, but with a little panic and unease, "I was just joking. Don't cry…"

 

"I know," Mako lies. He quickly notices Bianca's discomfort at making him cry and sucks up his tears as best he can. "I just got something in my eye," he explains.

 

Bianca can't help but crack a small smile in relief, but she quickly recomposes herself. "The Blank Pirates accepted the Davy Back Fight. Don't cry in front of them or they'll think you're a baby."

 

She grins smugly when Mako scowls at her comment. "FYI, _Binky,_ I'm nineteen; you're three years younger than me. They'll think you're a baby even if you don't cry."

 

Mako grins right back at her scowling face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning the strongest members of the crew meet below deck for a strategy meeting while the rest bustle about the island to set up for the Davy Back.

 

"Ahem," Senryoku clears his throat as he cuts his way to the center of the throng of fighters, indicating they should fall silent. "The Blank Pirates only agreed to one game, so today, our only competitors will be Mako, Akira, Korinai, Ren,  and Bianca. Our target is their chef, Takashi Myska. He's the one in the sombrero," clarifies Senryoku, but the mixed groans from his audience drown out his words. He waits until the moans of disappointment from just about everyone, competing or not, quiet down before continuing. Only Mako looks excited and Bianca's expression is as nonexistent as ever. "Since we're only playing one game, we're playing our forte, the Obstacle Face-Off Quiz Show. If you're not competing, spread the news and help out with the set up."

 

Most of the members present slowly make their way to where they need to be with choice words grumbled here and there until only six figures are left in the room. Senryoku beckons them closer before finally beginning with the debrief.

 

For the most part, Bianca tunes out because she doesn't feel a need to listen. Her only job is to kick her opponent's ass no matter who it is, and for that, she doesn't need a strategy.

 

After what feels like an eternity, Senryoku finally dismisses them and she saunters away to nap until her turn - the fourth round - comes around. Mako stayed behind to talk with his dad, but unfortunately - in Bianca's opinion - the talk doesn't last long and soon he's bouncing along next to her, chatting away his excitement.

 

"I'm so excited!" he shouts to the world, then confides in Bianca, "But nervous too… Are you nervous, Bianca? Of course you're not nervous; you're never nervous. Were you listening to my dad talk? He said that you'll probably end up facing their chef. I'm going fifth, so I'll probably face their captain. My dad said the chef will probably be the one to go twice, so make sure to study him! I'll try my best to make my dad proud. You too, okay? It's so nerve-wracking. But I'm really excited too!"

 

His rambling continues in circles, so Bianca ignores it. Although, she would've ignored it even if it didn't repeat.

 

As a child, it was Bianca's dream to be chosen to take part in the Davy Back, but the novelty has long worn off, leaving a monotonous chore in its place. She wants to travel to the Grand Line and go on exciting adventures and face opponents on her level, or maybe even stronger than her, but Senryoku insists on staying in East Blue like several generations of Edo Pirates have. And to make matters worse, despite his own notoriety, he's loathe to allow any other crew members accumulate a bounty.

 

What's the point of being a pirate if not achieving world-wide infamy?

 

"Mako!!!! Bianca!!!!" Mako falls silent at the frantic shouting and the two turn around. Akira stumbles towards them as fast as he can. "Have you read the news?!?!"

 

Bianca stares at him, asking silently with a stone cold expression, "Do I look like I read the newspaper?"

 

Akira practically shoves the newspaper into Mako's unready hands, and a pile of fresh bounties fall out. At the very top the Blank Pirates' captain looks back at the trio with his dark blue eyes and childish grin.

 

VANISHING MAGICIAN ASHER

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

25 MILLION BERI

 

Bianca picks it up, revealing an intimidating photo of the Blank Pirates' chef underneath.

 

BLANK SAMURAI TAKASHI

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

28 MILLION BERI

 

"No way…" Mako whispers in both fear and awe.

 

Bianca scoffs. "Whatever. You know how those Marines are. He probably punched a lieutenant and now they think he's some sort of big shot." Or he could actually be strong. But if Akira and Mako feel intimidated, then it's her job to bolster their spirits.

 

She shreds Asher's wanted poster to pieces and lets the remains float to the ground before reaching for Takashi's, but Mako pulls it up and out of her reach.

 

"Do you realize that you're going to fight someone with a bounty larger than my dad's?!" He waves the poster nervously, inadvertently waving it in Akira's face, but Mako doesn't notice. "What if he kills you?!"

 

Akira can practically see a vein popping in Bianca's forehead. As one of the strongest fighters among the Edo Pirates, it's understandable she feels Mako is underestimating her.

 

"FYI, Mr. Cabin Boy, their captain has a bounty too." Bianca says, waving her hands at the scraps of Asher's wanted poster. "But just because Senryoku has a shady deal with the Marines to keep all of us bounty-less doesn't mean that we're weak."

 

"I know that," Mako cries, pulling at the black tangles of his hair. "I'm just- I just-" He takes a deep breath, composing himself, and makes a decision. "I'm worried about you, Bianca," he says slowly. He musters his courage, fists clenched tightly, and finally works up the nerve to look Bianca in her beautiful, multicolored eyes. He's been preparing for this moment for a long time, but Mako is still conscious of the loud beating of his heart, of his flushed cheeks, of Akira standing witness to the arguably most defining moment of his short life. "I-"

 

Akira coughs uncomfortably, breaking Mako's momentum. "I think someone was looking for you, Mako."

 

"It can wait." he snaps back.

 

"I think it was your dad."

 

Mako's eyes flicker uncertainly to Bianca, but he sighs loudly, chest visibly deflating, and goes off to look for his father. Akira watches him leave before letting out a relieved breath. Even if Mako doesn't understand now, someday he'll realize Akira saved him from a world of hurt. Akira knows that, despite the many things Bianca feels for him, she doesn't love Mako the way he loves her.

 

"Do any of the others have a bounty?" asks Bianca, completely blind to what was about to transpire.

 

With a simple shakes of his head, and a pat on her shoulder, Akira leaves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akira collapses into his seat with a dull thud, so thoroughly exhausted that Mako doesn't have the heart to bring up the fool's errand he was sent on earlier. Akira's panting breaths are almost louder than the crowd of spectators, but no one nearby can bring themselves to mind. Senryoku gives him a terse nod. "Good work." So far, very little has gone according to plan. One look at the roster had Senryoku scrambling to compose a new strategy.

 

Instead of the captain facing Mako in the final round, Takashi took the fifth position, and Asher is competing twice, once against Ren and again against Bianca.

 

Korinai took an easy victory from the girl, as expected. The obstacle course was in her favor, but the quiz predictably stumped her, giving Korinai the win. But Ren, who was supposed to bait the captain into revealing his abilities before his second round, was defeated discouragingly quickly.

 

After the second match, Senryoku had raged, "He's called the Vanishing Magician! Did you see anything vanish?! I didn't see shit vanish!!" Somehow, Mako managed to calm him down.

 

During Akira's grueling faceoff against the Blank Pirates' carpenter, Bianca noticed Mako's worried expression, and she didn't think it stemmed from his father's fury. She taps him on the shoulder cautiously. The crease in his brown deepens when he sees her, but he doesn't seem to be angry at her.

 

"Hey, Binky," smiles Mako wanly.

 

Bianca restrains her scowl and instead asks, "What's wrong?"

 

A look of rage flashes through his expression. Bianca just barely manages to stop herself from backing away in fear, the ugly emotion an unfamiliar presence on Mako's soft features. Mako, who always seems to be attuned to Bianca's emotions, reassures her with a soft smile. "Nothing," he lies just as Akira deals the finishing blow.

 

Dense as she is, Bianca can occasionally tell when Mako is faking. She's filled with both worry and curiosity. 

 

Even though he always worries about her, Mako knows Bianca is strong. Now that Akira has won, the Edo Pirates have one loss and two wins, and Bianca is going next. Mako has faith that Bianca will secure the victory. She'll show those goddamn meddlers the strength of the Edo Pirates.

 

Bianca ties her hair in a loose ponytail with a simple, white strip of cloth before making her way to her starting point. She approaches the obstacle course confidently. It's been a long time since she lost, and she doesn't see why today should be any different, barring her encounter with Asher yesterday, but with each second that passes, the memory grows more and more surreal, like something her mind exaggerated.

 

She sees him meekly totter over from the spot his crew staked out in the stands even though she knows that it's just a pretense. He was brimming with confidence the day before and won with ease during the second round.

 

As soon as he reaches his starting point - a mere five paces from Bianca - he lets his nervous mask slip away for a moment to smirk cheekily at her. "Sorry, Binx," calls Asher, "But I'm going to win this one."

 

Bianca doesn't appreciate his arrogance. She doesn't appreciate the loose ponytail - same as hers - he tied his hair into. And she certainly doesn't appreciate the nickname.

 

His sword is nowhere to be seen.

 

Bianca discreetly adjusts her red hakama, making sure that it's tied tightly, and tugs at the collar of her white haori. Curse the Edo Pirates' dress code. It's as if they're trying to make winning as hard as possible.

 

The Obstacle Face-Off Quiz Show consists of two parts: an obstacle course and a quiz show. The contestants race through the obstacle course to the goal, a podium where they are asked various questions. The faster they get to the podium, the more time they have to answer questions, and the more questions they answer, the more points they score. If one of the contestants is knocked out - or killed - during the obstacle course, the win goes to the other team.

 

Therefore, strong fighters tend to try and defeat their opponents in the obstacle course, while weak fighters, or lazy people, try to make it to the goal.

 

Bianca always considered herself a strong fighter. She always took care of her opponents quickly during the obstacle course, and the intended to do the same to Asher, but then the referee blew the whistle, and then she saw Asher pull a giant zweihander out of thin air, and then she turned around, and then she ran.

 

Curse the dress code.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was actually about 7,000 words, so I split it in two, but I'm not going to post the next chapter because I told myself that I'd write one chapter of The Ability Hound for every chapter of other stuff, so I have to finish chapter 4 of that first.
> 
> I hope you liked it, and please comment! Thank you!


	2. White Symbolizes Purity, but Polka Dots Aren't Bad Either

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert: Bianca loses.

"Binx!" Asher shouts from behind her, casually, like they’re just playing a friendly game of tag, like his sword doesn't weigh more than he does. "Where are you going?"

 

"WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I'M GOING?!" she doesn't even turn around, just shouts - too surprised to be stoic - at the top of her lungs while somersaulting over a thick, stone wall, glad to have something between herself and Asher. Bianca flips over the top and launches herself off the other side, hitting the grass with a roll, and coming out sprinting without ever stopping.

 

Moments later, she hears Asher cleave through the wall. She glances back this time, just to make sure he really did cut through a foot of cement.

 

Bianca weaves between several axe pendulums and finally turns around to face Asher head on. She grips the hilts of both her katana, but waits until Asher is approaching the axes before quickly unsheathing them.

 

Asher's grin stretches wider, but Bianca refuses to be cowed.

 

She plans to catch him in the axes, but with a single swing of his sword - easily twice the size of a normal zweihander - he cuts through their wooden handles and they tumble to the grass below. Bianca jumps back to avoid getting chopped up, while Asher fearlessly leaps through the falling axe heads after her.

 

He swings his sword again. This time Bianca throws herself backwards to avoid being decapitated, and stumbles onto an open stretch of grass.

 

"Oh, kami-sama," she laments under her breath, staggering to her feet just in time to throw both her swords up and block another strike from Asher. She's panting heavily at not even halfway through the course. Asher, on the other hand, seems only mildly winded even with his enormous sword.

 

They come to a standstill. Bianca's arms are crossed between her forehead and Asher's sword, which leans dangerously close to her forehead, in skewed T shape. She sees Asher's gaze zoom in on her grip, and she remembers his comment from the previous day _. "Backhanded… interesting."_

 

From this close up, Bianca can see a healthy glow radiating from Asher, his porcelain skin practically shimmering in the sunlight. His eyes are as blue and intense as they were the previous day, and his mouth is fixed in a firm line, with a confident smirk tugging at the corner. A few blond strands of hair have come loose from his ponytail, but it just makes him look more- Bianca catches herself before the thought goes any further.

 

Asher, however, has no such qualms. "You're pretty cute." He leans in closer, pressing Bianca to her knees. "Maybe in a few years, we could-"

 

Bianca growls, and pushes back. His grip on his sword tightens. She lunges forward with a snarl, effortlessly  sailing over Asher's head, and swings at his exposed back.

 

Asher twists around, just in time to see the victorious glint in her calico eyes. He won't be able to drag his sword around in time.

 

So he pulls out another one.

 

Bianca's eyes widen in surprise as she sees a regular sized sword materialize in Asher's hand. Or rather, it seems to be materializing in mid air as his hand continues to move forward, like he's pulling it out of an invisible sheath. She makes a split second decision and chooses preventing her intestines from spilling out instead of cutting Asher in half.

 

Metal clashes against metal. Sparks fly from the sheer force they both exert. They come to another standstill. The crowd roars.

 

"I ate the Kie Kie no Mi," Asher tells her with a smirk, "I can make things vanish and reappear whenever I want."

 

"That's cool," Bianca says smoothly, her eyes darting down the path of the obstacle course towards the goal. She contemplates how long it would take her to get there. After a moment of deliberation, she confides in Asher, "I ate the Kessho Kessho no Mi." She pauses to blow a strand of hair out of her eyes, fixing him with a determined glare "Guess what I can do?"

 

She doesn’t give Asher time to answer, or even to think. She jabs a katana at Asher's massive zweihander and crystals begin crawling around its width, stretching to the ground and rooting it firmly in place. Bianca dives around his other side and makes a mad dash for the finish line.

 

All the while, Asher stares in wonder at the power of her devil's fruit. But then he notices his crew shouting choice words at him from the stands and gives chase, abandoning the sword entangled by crystals, letting it fade away, leaving the clear shell created by Bianca grasped around nothing.

 

To Asher and his maniacal grin, the race seems like a fun game, but to Bianca, it's a matter of life or death. Not only are the Edo pirates depending on her to secure the victory, but she also has to stop Mako from facing off against Takashi, a no-name chef from a no-name pirate crew whose picture suddenly appeared in the newspaper along with a 28 million beri bounty.

 

If Asher is already this strong, who knows what Takashi can do…

 

Maybe she should start reading the newspaper.

 

Bianca avoids all the traps in the obstacle course with an type of ease that only comes with endless practice. She doesn't know how far behind her Asher is, and she's too afraid to look back. Although she wears a brave face, his strength scares her to the core. If Takashi is any stronger than Asher, Mako won't stand a chance.

 

A blur of white and gold flashes in front of her, and Bianca comes to an abrupt halt, even taking several steps back. The podium is so close, but Asher has caught up.

 

"Sorry," he says apologetically - it almost sounds genuine to Bianca's disbelieving ears - reaching behind him and pulling out the zweihander from before. "But I can't let you go any further. I'm not confident in my trivia knowledge." Asher rushes forward and Bianca immediately moves to defend herself, throwing both blades up and hoping for the best.

 

Suddenly, Asher isn't surging forward anymore, but diving lower. His zweihander disappears again, and so does his other sword.

 

Bianca lowers her swords slightly in confusion, and there's a flash of red fabric, the color of her skirt. Her world becomes both deafening loud and completely silent. She can feel a gentle breeze. It's slightly chilly.

 

And then she hears Asher's voice. "Polka dots. How cute."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bianca wakes up to wild roaring. Surely the gods are delivering judgement upon her tarnished purity. She's not fit to wear her white robes anymore.

 

She tumbles off the bench she's resting on, and Akira is at her side, insistently asking questions. Bianca can't hear anything he says amid the throng of noise, and she tries to push him away. Although she certainly bats at something, that something's identity is a whole other question.

 

For several long moments, Bianca sways dizzily on the ground, unable to orient herself, with Akira hovering worriedly over her. Then, all at once, reality slams itself on her.

 

Asher flipped her skirt. And everybody saw.

 

Bianca scrambles away to be anywhere but next to Akira, whom she's known for years and years, and can no longer look in the eye. She throws herself against the edge of the spectator stands, gripping the handrail for dear life. All around her are people who she's known her entire life. And they've all seen her panties.

 

_"Polka dots. How cute."_

 

Bianca nearly faints in embarrassment. Again.

 

But something catches her eye. At first, all she sees is Mako, slumped on the stretch of grass where she and Asher clashed briefly. And then she sees Takashi.

 

Only the gods know what he's holding.

 

It looks like an insanely large toothpick, but a thousand times more deadly. In any other situation, Bianca would have spared a though to wonder what was with the Blank Pirates and oversized objects, but as the toothpick verged on making room for itself in Mako's abdominal cavity, she had more important things to think about.

 

Later, Bianca will claim that she was confused and only half-conscious. But at the moment, a single thought races through her with frightening clarity: Mako is going to die.

 

**_"STOOOPPP!!!!!"_ **

 

Bianca takes the twenty meter dive over the edge of the stands before anyone can hold her back. She reaches for her katanas, but they're gone.

 

Takashi bothers to glance up. Mako does too. Whereas Takashi's gaze is blank, Mako's bloody face is brimming with expression. He looks surprised, scared, angry, sad, relieved.

 

Stuck in a freefall, and with the ground quickly approaching, Bianca musters the strength of mind to fashion herself a katana out of crystal. She maneuvers herself in midair and comes down on Takashi ferociously. She feels him block her first blow with his oversized toothpick, immutable like a concrete wall.

 

Even ignoring the fact that Asher blew threw one like he was knifing a teddy bear, Bianca doesn't want to fight Takashi.

 

She kicks off him, and lands on the ground in front of Mako. She throws her arm out to the side as if it could protect him from Takashi, and slowly erects a crystalline barrier behind herself.

 

"Don't touch him," Bianca warns, "Or else."

 

Takashi blinks once, slowly, not bothered in the least. "He won't forfeit," he explains simply, like that makes killing Mako acceptable. He takes a single, lumbering step forward as if he expects Bianca to let him walk past.

 

Bianca feels her temper rising. "I said don't touch him!" She raises her clear katana to the pale skin of Takashi's throat. He's taller than her by quite a bit, and surely stronger, but Bianca doesn't show an ounce of fear.

 

And then he's gone.

 

She spins around, and sees his dark shadow looming over Mako like an omen of death, his towering body blocking the sun and all hopes of victory. It's almost like he teleported, but Bianca has a feeling he's just that fast.

 

Bianca shatters the wall of crystal with ease, standing under the shower of glittering shards unblinkingly, and once again holds the point of her sword to Takashi's throat.

 

This time, Mako is between them. He cranes his neck uncomfortably as he looks back and forth between them. "B-Bianca…" His voice is thick with emotion and hoarse from fear.

 

"Kill him, and I'll kill you." Bianca's voice is stone cold, and she thinks she might actually do it, even though she's never killed anyone before. Up until now, just glaring and growling a few threats had her opponents fainting in terror.

 

But Takashi remains expressionless. "He won't forfeit." His words are a low rumble, carrying beneath the screaming crowd. He speaks slowly, lethargically. "Asher told me to win."

 

Once again, Bianca thinks that she doesn't want to fight Takashi. That leaves only one option left. "… Forfeit." She nudges Mako with her sandal. "Forfeit," Bianca repeats.

 

"I…" Mako's voice is thin and wavering like a single blade of grass in the face of an oncoming typhoon. His entire body trembles. His eyes are squeezed shut. "I c-can't." He can imagine the disbelieving look on Bianca's face. But his reedy voice carries a resolute conviction. "He said they'd take you! They'd take you if they win- when they win! I WON'T forfeit!"

 

With an incredible amount of strength, Mako manages to stand up, determined to protect Bianca instead of the other way around. "You can't have her!" he yells at Takashi, flinging his arm out to the side in a protective gesture, but puts too much vigor in his swing, and accidentally hits Bianca.

 

"Ow… Mako, goddammit, that hurt." Bianca rubs the mild swell of her chest with an open palm, scowling slightly. She intends to disintegrate Mako with a single venomous glare, but is surprised to see his face already deathly pale. "Uh… Dude, it's okay," she says, not sure why he looks even more stricken than before. "It didn't really hurt that bad."

 

Bianca swears she sees Mako's soul escaping through his mouth.

 

And then the referee finally comes huffing up to the trio, exhausted from scaling a towering stone wall, avoiding axes of doom, and jogging another 400 meters, give or take. He pulls out a red card from the pocket of his shirt. "E-edo… Pirat… Pirates… disqualified for… for… for…"

 

He faints.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You bitch! You no good, ungrateful, interfering bitch!" Senryoku's spittle flies wildly. The ambient crew backs away from the spray zone, but Bianca stands adamantly in front of him, bearing the brunt of his wet fury. "If only you hadn't jumped off the fucking stands then-"

 

Bianca steps forward menacingly, and Senryoku steps back, silenced. "Then your son would be dead. And we would have still lost. They're waiting for us." She spins around, whipping him with the long strands of her hair, and exits the tent without an ounce of emotion, wiping saliva from her face.

 

But everyone in the crew knows otherwise. They know her too well. After all, she's spent her whole life on the ship. They raised her from a wailing baby to the angsty, rebellious teenager she is today. They hoped to raise her into adulthood, but rumors about the Blank Pirates coveting their youngest crewmate have spread quickly.

 

Outside the tent, Mako waits for Bianca like an obedient puppy. "I'm sorry!" He cries as soon as Bianca emerges from underneath the flap of the tent. "You don't have to go! We'll figure something out," he reassure her, trying to stay strong.

 

Bianca brushes past him quickly, forcing Mako to limp after her. "Don't worry about it," she answers flippantly, voice smooth like high quality butter. "I hate this crew anyways, and I've always wanted to wear normal clothes." She easily discerns Mako's uneven footsteps ceasing among the hustle bustle of the crowd, but doesn't stop.

 

Not now. Not when she could break down at any moment. Emotions should be reserved for the privacy of her own company, not shown in places where others can see her weakness. Unlucky for her, the Blank Pirates are due to announce their choice of prize soon and she has no time to spare for something as trivial as emotion.

 

Taking time out of the day to think about her feelings is like taking a shit - it can always wait.

 

"Hey there, Binx! Where's your friend?" Asher suddenly appears in front of Bianca, beaming at her.

 

"I don't know," she answers sourly, not in the mood to deal with him. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

 

Asher's smile dims a little and he ushers her to the side, ignoring her question. "I'm sure you've heard, but I want you to join our crew. Ah ah-" he taps his index finger lightly over Bianca's mouth, shushing her. "I won't take you, if you don't want to come."

 

Bianca's tumultuous thoughts come to a grinding halt. She almost can't believe her ears. "Seriously?"

 

Asher nods, completely serious.

 

"Of course I don't want-" Bianca doesn't get to finish her sentence.

 

Asher cuts her off quickly. "Just think about it."

 

Bianca can't tell if he's patronizing her or pleading. Sure, yesterday morning all she wanted was to sail away into the horizon, away from Senryoku's oppressing strategies, and the weak East Blue. But that was yesterday morning, before a fashion-blind samurai from a wackjob crew nearly killed Mako, who's practically her brother.

 

Except that would make Senryoku her dad and that would just be… terrible. Tragic. Gross.

 

"Binx? Earth to Bianca." Asher peers closely at Bianca, waving his hand in her face. "You look a little sick."

 

"What? Uh… I'm fine."

 

"If you say so." Asher shrugs. "We'll wait for your answer. Tell me or Takashi tomorrow morning, 'kay? By the way, if you say no, then I'm going to take your flag."

 

Bianca barely resists a strong urge to punch Asher in the face. She settles with face-palming and a long groan that turns into a growl somewhere along the line. Of course there'd be a catch.

 

There's no way she can say no now. She can live without the Edo Pirates, after all, she's being offered a place with the Blank Pirates, but for many crew members, there's no other place for them. A majority of the crew members were won in other Davy Back games, and their original crews are long gone, somewhere on the ocean blue. To others, the Edo Pirates are their only family, like Mako.

 

Mako. Gentle, kind, and crybaby Mako who was born on the ship just like Bianca, and knows no other way of life than one at sea. The title of captain has been passed down his family for generations, a title he dreams of one day holding. If the Edo Pirates were to be disbanded, it would break his heart. Their crew would scatter and he'd have no one, nothing.

 

It's a simple choice, but not an easy one.

 

"…Yes…"

 

"What was that?" Asher cups his hand around his ear, leaning in closer.

 

"I said 'yes'…" Bianca barely manages to spit the words out from behind clenched teeth.

 

"So you want to join our crew?" he asks gleefully.

 

"No! Of course I don't!" shouts Bianca vehemently. "But-"

 

"So that's a no?"

 

"I just said-" Bianca glances up at Asher and she sees him rocking back and forth on the heels of his feet, a shit eating grin stretched across his face. _"Sadist. He's a sadist."_ Asher waits patiently for her answer like a cat toying with a trapped mouse. Bianca can't believe this is happening to her. Never again will she be ungrateful for what she has. Never again will she wish for unnecessary things. "Yes," she growls, "I want to- to join… your crew." Her heart throbs in agony at the traitorous words.

 

"Great!" Asher slings his arm around Bianca's shoulder like they're old buddies, and steers her back onto the open road. "We're going to have lots of fun together, Binx!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you really going?"

 

"Yes, Mako," Bianca says for the nth time, "I'm going. I already told you, I'm glad I'm leaving. I hate this crew. I want to dress like a normal person." Her heart clenches, but she refuses to show it in her expression. It'll be easier for both of them like this. Bianca can almost convince herself that it's true, that she's glad to be leaving, that she hates the Edo Pirates, that Mako is just an annoying-

 

_SLAP!_

 

"Don't lie to me!"

 

Mako's hand is frozen in midair, Bianca's head turned to the side, her cheek stinging painfully. She slowly brings her hand up to her cheek where it's already turning red. He sure didn't hold back. But whereas Bianca's eyes are wide in surprise, Mako's are brimming with tears.

 

"I love you, Bianca, so don't say stuff like that," he sniffs, eyes squeezed shut, turned away from the girl. "I love you… like a sister." It hurts Mako to lie about his feelings, but it's unavoidable at this point.

 

Their hearts throb in unison, clenching painfully with every beat. Neither can remember a day without the other, but separation is imminent, its lonely shadow looming over their future. In this moment, their worlds consist of only each other, oblivious to the teary eyed crew surrounding them.

 

Finally, Bianca sniffles. She hurriedly wipes away a stray tear as she stares pointedly at the ground. "… Me too," she manages to say without choking up. "I love you too…" And just like that, the floodgate breaks. Suddenly, Bianca can't hold back her tears anymore, and she begins to bawl uncontrollably. "I don't want to leave!" she cries, "Maaakooo!"

 

Not a single crew member can remember the last time she cried, but Mako is ready, stepping forward and embracing her. Bianca sobs into his chest, her head fitting perfectly under his chin, her face pressed against his shoulder, her hands curled tightly in the fabric of his robes.

 

After a long while, Bianca's sobs being to die down, until she's breathing quietly against Mako. Mako bravely sucks up his tears and snot, extra careful to make sure nothing gets in Bianca's hair.

 

"I'm going to miss you," he whispers, and Bianca agrees with a sniffle and a nod. "Make sure you write to me, okay?" Another nod.

 

Slowly, they separate, each taking a step back to look the other in their red-rimmed eyes. Bianca wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, to no avail. She buries her face in her sleeves, dampening the white fabric, but emerges with a shaky smile. "Bye, Mako," she says with as much strength and certainty as she can muster, then turns around to face her new crew.

 

Asher the captain. Takashi the cook and first-mate, Aika the blacksmith, and Noah the carpenter.

 

Asher offers her his hand, which she accepts with grace by dumping the drawstring sack holding all of her possessions onto it.

 

Without ceremony, the four of them board their small ship and raise the anchor, making preparations to set sail. All the while, Bianca stands on the shore at the boundary between old and new, between known and unknown, between safety and adventure. With one last glance at the Edo Pirates, Bianca jumps on board.

 

Asher grins.

 

"Unfurls the sails!" he commands, and they immediately drop down. "Men, set the course! We're headed for Machi Island!"

 

"Aye-aye, captain!" echoes the chorus.

 

Bianca can't help but scoff at their enthusiasm. Yet she still whispers to no one in particular, sound lost in the wind, "Aye-aye, captain."


End file.
